My Cometa Fenix 400 .177 cal loves RWS R-10 Match Pistol 7 grain pellets

[harleyflhxi]

I have never personally experienced such a small 10-shot group as I shot today, with this gun, using these pellets.  It was the same size as a single .25 cal pellet hole.  This gun obviously loves these pellets.  And I love this gun, as I do all my Cometas.

My two questions are:

1. Are such light pellets damaging the gun? 

2. How do I tell if a pellet is too light or too heavy for a gun?

Oh yes, I shot from a distance of 20 feet, using open sights.

[gandalfretlaw]

I don't see why. 7gn is a little on the light side, but not very much. My Whisper loves 7gn RWS Basic Match. I think the worry is 4gn ultra light pellets that slam the piston face and 10gn monster pellets.

[GunnerAl]

Myself, I certainly wouldn't shoot anything lighter than that 7gr pellet. Only from what I personally understand, would I say it's right on the ragged edge of acceptability. I recommend (not that I am any great authority on the subject) from 7.5 - 8.5 gr in any .177 calibre 1000fps rated rifle as a good all-round weight bracket to start in. The Cometa 400 Fenix is actually rated slightly above that, something like 1050fps although many sites list it in the 1000fps bracket. Hey, what's 50fps between friends - right..!! Mind you, the newer ones may well be slightly detuned from the model I have. I bought mine maybe 5 or 6 years back and it certainly has a very slight edge in velocity over some other 1000fps rated guns I also have in .177 cal,, not really noticable at 10 metres but much more noticalbe at say 50m, just that tad quicker to get there,, not much but definitely quicker when shooting the same pellets as the one you are comparing it to...

I use my small remaining stocks of BSA Wolverines in my Fenix. These are nothing more the renamed JSB Exacts, and mine is also quite a good shooter. I don't generally use these pellets in any other gun, just the Fenix, as it handles them so well. I can't group as good as yours, mind you I have never grouped it at 20ft. Yeah, I just realized that 20ft is about 6m, good shooting for open sights but if you had a scope you should try your pellets at maybe 30-40 yards which will reveal just how good they are. I rate my Fenix as maybe the most accurate air rifle I have, alongside my Diana 34, the Fenix is a great rifle...

Newer model... with that fitting on the end of the barrel...


My older model...

[harleyflhxi]

Al, my Cometas have the stock like yours, but with that plastic fitting on the end of the barrel.  I don't think it's a sound suppressor, but something to grab when cocking.

Where I live, I can't shoot outdoors in my yard, so I have to shoot in the garage.  I'll eventually take them to the local forest to shoot at longer distances.

Thanks, both of you, for your responses!

[GunnerAl]

Cheers harlylhxi,

Just remember that the Fenix 400 is a real good rifle...

[JR]

My RWS 94 (Cometa Fenix 400) shoots about anything real well, don't really know of any pellet it shoots bad. At 7 gr's your on the ragged lower end for this gun but as long as the piston isn't smacking the end you should be ok. Mine shoot's 7.9 gr at 887 fps so you should be close to 1000 fps with those pellets. The Cometa brand is very under rated, the other Spanish brand isn't even in the same class as these are.